Mounting plate for plug-in devices



Dec. 18, 1945. P. N. MARTIN MOUNTING PLATE FOR PLUG-IN DEVICES FiledSept. 9, 1944 fiyz 6e INVENTOR Paul NI Mapflzz.

axw f H1! ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 18, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE-2',391,324 MOUNTING PLATE FOR PLUG-IN DEVICES Paul N. Martin,Pittsburgh, Pa... assignor to The Union Switch & Signal Company,Swissvale, -Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 9,1944, Serial No. 553,384 7 (c1. zoo-s1) I 9 Claims.

My invention relates to a mounting plate for plug-in devices.

In many forms of devices in which external circuit connections to thedevice are completed by plugging the device into a mounting plate havingconnectors permanently attached to the external circuit wires, such forexample as the plug-in relays employed in railway signaling systems, oneform of which relays is described in Letters Patent of the United StatesNo. 2,198,704, granted to Branko Lazich on April 30, 1940, it isdesirable to be able to at times open one or more of the circuits whichare completed through the connectors on the mounting .plate withoutdisturbing the remaining circuits and without disconnecting the externalcircuit wires from the respective connectors on the mounting plate, andone object of my present invention is to provide a simple and improvedmounting plate which will enable this result to be readily accomplished.

According to my invention, the connectors of the mounting plate aremounted in the plate in recesses which are suiiiciently long to permitthe connectors to be individually moved into or out of engagement withthe cooperating contact members On the relay, and a clamping member isprovided which is operable between two positions in one of which it iseffective to lock all of the connectors in their contact makingpositions in the associated recesses and in the other of.

which it permits individual movement of the connectors within therecesses to their disengaged positions.

Other objects and characteristic features of my invention will becomeapparent as the description proceeds.

I shall describe two forms of mounting plates embodying my invention,and shall then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation andpartly in section showing one form of mounting plate embodying my in-,

vention. Fig. 2 is a right-hand side view of the mounting plate shown inFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one of the contact members of themounting plate shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a view partly insection and partly in side elevation showing another form of mountingplate embodying my invention. Fig. 5 is a rightehand side view of theplate shown in Fig. 4 with certain of the parts broken away to betterillustrate the remaining parts. Fig. 6 is an isometric view of theclamping member 2| forming part of the mounting plate shown in Figs. 4and 5.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of theseveralviews.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, I have here shown a mounting plate Iembodying my invention in the form it assumes when used in connectionwith a plug-in rela of the type shown in Lazich Patent No. 2,198,704referred to hereinbefore, but it should be clearly understood at theoutset that my invention is not limited to thisparticular form. Inasmuchas the plug-in relay is described in detail in the said Patent No.2,198,704, only those parts of the relay which are necessary for a clearunderstanding of my present invention have been shown and will bedescribed herein. The portion of the relay which is shown comprises thelower end of the back plate 4 of the relay. The back plate is ofinsulating material, and has moulded or otherwise secured therein aplurality of contact fingers 5, the rear ends 5a of which extend intoa'rectangular cavity 4a and constitute plugs for making connection withsuitable female connectors 6 mounted in the mounting plate l, in amanner which will be made clear presently.

The mounting plate I is also of insulating material, and is intended tobe secured in a vertical position to any suitable support in such mannerthat access to the rear face of the mounting plate may be readily had.The construction of the support and the means for securing the mountingplate to it form no part of my present invention, and are therefore notshown.

Formed on one side of the mounting plate i is a rectangular projectionlb which enters the cavity to in the back plate 4 when the relay isplugged into the mounting plate, and formed in the other side of themounting .plate directly op posite the projection lb is a cavity lcsurrounded at its outer end by a boss Id. The projection lb is providedwith a plurality of slots Ie, one for receiving the plug portion 5a ofeach contact finger of the relay. Each slot le communicates at its innerend with a recess If which latter recess, in turn, communicates at theend opposite the slot le with the cavity lc. Disposed in each recess Ifis one of the female connectors 6 referred to hereinbefore. These femaleconnectors are of well known construction and each is made from a'singlepiece of material bent over onto itself to form a tail portion 6a andtwo spaced U-shaped return bend portions 6b, the inner legs of which areurged toward each other by their own resiliency to positions in whichthey will frictionally engage the cooperating plug portions 5a of theassociated contact fingers when the parts are in their normal plugged-inpositions, as shown. The tail portions 6a of the connectors arerelatively long, and extend with some clearance adjacent their outerends through slots 8a formed in a cover member 8 of insulating materialsecured by means of screws 9 to the boss ld which surrounds the outerend-of the cavity 10. The outer end of each connector is intended to bepermanently connected to an external circuit wire -ll, and to facilitatefasteningthe circuit wires to the outer ends of the connectors the tailpor- A clamping member I provided with a plurality of slots la, one forloosely receiving the tail portion 6a of each connector 6, is looselymounted in the cavity lc for sliding movement along the tail portions 6aof the connectors 6 between an inner position in which it engages thebottom of the cavity lo, and an outer position in which it engages thecover member 8. The clamping member is arranged to be moved between itstwo positions by means of two screws l2 having shank portions l2a andelongated head portions I25. The shank portions l2a extend throughclearance holes lb provided in the clamping member 1 and are screwed attheir inner ends into tapped holes lg provided in the mounting plate I,while the elongated head portions extend outwardly through clearanceholes 8b formed in the cover member 8 and are provided at their outerends with saw kerfs l2c for the reception of a screw driver. Theelongated head portions of the screws are made larger in diameter thanthe shank portions so that a shoulder PM is formed at the junction ofthe head and shank portions, and these shoulders cooperate with theouter face of the clamping plate when the screws are screwed into theholes lg to move the clamping plate to its inner position. A recess 1cis formed around the inner end of each hole lb and a ring member I4 issecured to the shank portion of each screw within the recess, wherebywhen the screws are backed out of the holes lg the ring members will actto move the clamping plate to its outer position.

As shown in the drawing, the clamping member is secured in its innerposition by means of the screws l2 and the parts are so proportionedthat under these conditions the clamping member I will cooperate withthe shoulders formed at the junction of the tail portions 6a of theconnectors with the U-shaped return bend portions 6b to secure theconnectors in such positions in the associated recesses that if therelay is then plugged into the mounting base, as shown in Fig. 1, theconnectors will make electrical contact with the plug portions of thecontact fingers and will thus establish good electrical connectionbetween the contact fingers and the external circuit wires II.

If now with the relay in its plugged-in position, it is desired tointerrupt the connection between any one or more of the circuit wiresand the associated contact of the relay without disturbing theconnection between the remaining circuit wires and the associatedcontacts, as is desirable for example in making ground tests on therelay wiring, the clamping member will first be moved' to its outerposition by backing the screws l2 out of the holes lg. This will permitany of the female connectors to be slid outwardly within the associatedrecess far enough to disengage it from the plug portion 5a of theassociated contact finger but not far enough to remove it completelyfrom the associated recess If in the mounting plate I. If desired, atool with a hook on the end to engage the hole lid in the finger andwith insulating sides to eliminate danger of short circuits between theconnectors due to the tool accidentally touching other connectors may beprovided to facilitate moving the springs to their outer positions.After the tests are completed, the clamping member can be returned toits clamping position by means of the screws l2, and the connectors willbe automatically returned to their normal engaging positions. It shouldbe particularly noted that since the female connectors remain in therecesses I! when moved to their disconnected or disengaging positionsany possibility of interchanging of wires by mistake is prevented,thereby retaining all of the advantages of the usual plug-in mountingarrangement,

As shown in Fig. 1, the heads of the clamping screws I2 areapproximately flush with the outer side of the cover member 8 when theclamping member I is moved by the screws to its inner or clampingposition. These heads may therefore be used to serve as an indicator toindicate when the connectors are locked in their normal positions.

It is not essential that the clamping screws provide a means for movingthe clamping member l to its outer position since when the member isfree to move to its outer position, the movement of any of theconnectors to its disengaging position would automatically move theclamping member to its outer position. Accordingly, if desired the ringmembers It may be omitted from the screws l2.

Referring now to Figs. 4 to '7, inclusive, I have here shown a mountingplate 20 which is generally similar to the mounting plate I except forthe fact that provision is made for a fewer munber of connectors 6, andfor the further fact that a different type of clamping member 2l isemployed to lock the connectors in their normal positions within theassociated recesses 20} in the mounting plate. The clamping member 2| ismounted in a cavity 200 in the clamping plate 20 for movement at rightangles to the tail portions to of the connector 6 rather thanlongitudinally along the tail portions, and is provided with a pluralityof laterally connected slots 2 la and Zlb. The slots 2la are just largeenough to receive the tail portions 6a in the connectors, and are sodisposed that a different one of the slots will align with an associatedone of the slots 20] when and only when the clampin plate is moved toits right-hand extreme position as viewed in Fig. 5. Theslots 2|b arethe same size as the recesses 20] in the clamping plate, and are sodisposed that each slot 2lb will align with an associated one of theslots 2|,f when and only when the clamping plate is moved to itsleft-hand extreme position as viewed in Fig. 5. The clamping plate isheld in place in the cavity 200 by a cover 'member 22, and is arrangedto be moved .be-

tween its two extreme positions by a cam member 23, the outer end ofwhich is journaled in a hole 22a in the cover member 22, and the innerend of which is journaled in a bearing opening 209 mal positions.

the clamping member is moved to its other expositions.

tl in such manner that rotation of the cam member through an angle ofsubstantially 180 will -move the clamping plate between its two extremepositions. It will be obvious that the clampingis moved to this extremeposition it will cooperate with the shoulders formed at the junctions ofthe tail portions and the U-shaped return bend portions to fasten theconnectors in their nor- It will also be obvious that whenv tremeposition,- the connectors may then be individually moved toward theright as viewed in Fig. 4 to disengage them from the associated contactfinger.

Although I have herein shown and described only two forms of mountingplates embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes andmodifications may be made therein within the scope of the appendedclaims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a mounting plate having a plurality of recesses whichcommunicate at one end with slots formed in one side of the plate and atthe other end with a cavity formed in the other side of the plate,connectors disposed in said recesses for making contact with the plugportions of contact members inserted into said recesses through saidslots, said connectors being movable within said recesses betweenpositions in which they engage said plug portions and other positions inwhich they are disengaged from said plug portions, and clamping meansdisposed in said cavity for movement between two posit1ons in one ofwhich all of saidconnectors "are secured in their contact makingpositions and in the other of which individual movement of saidconnectors to their contact disengaging positions is per-- mitted.

2. In combination, a mounting plate having a plurality of recesses whichcommunicate at one end with slots formed in one side of said plate andat the other end with a cavity formed in the other side of said plate, acover member secured to said plate and closing the outer end of saidcavity, connectors disposed in said recesses for making contact with theplu portions of contact members inserted into said recesses through saidslots, said connectors being movable within said recesses betweenpositions in which they engage said plug portions and other positions inwhich they are disengaged from said plug portions, each said connectorbeing formed with a tail portion extending through said cavity andthrough clearance slots provided in said cover member and with ashoulder at the inner end of said tail portion, said tail portionsproviding means for attaching external circuit wires to the connectors,

a clamping member mounted in said cavity for movement between inner andouter positions provided with slots which slidably receive the tailportions of said connectors, said clamping member cooperating in itsinner position with the shoulders on said connectors to secure all ofsaid connectors in their contact making positions and permitting in itsouter osition individual, movement of the connectors, and means formoving said clamping member between its inner and outer 3. Incombination, a mounting plate having a plurality of recesses whichcommunicate at one end with slots formed in one side of said plate andat the other end with a cavity formed in the other side of said plate, acover member secured to said plate and closing the outer end of saidcavity, connectors disposed in said recesses for making contact with theplug portions or contact members inserted into said recesses throughsaid slots, said connectors being movable within said recesses betweenpositions in which they engage said plug portions and other positions inwhich they are disengaged from said plug portions, each said connectorbeing formed with a tail portion extending through said cavity andthrough clearance slots provided in said cover member and with ashoulder at the inner end of said tail portion, said tail portionsproviding means for attaching external circuit wires 'sh'ank portions ofreduced diameter extending with clearance through holes provided in saidclamping member and threaded into said cover member, said screws whenscrewed in place acting to move said cover to and secure it in its innerposition and when backed out to permit movement of said cover member toits outer position.

4. In combination, a mounting plate having a plurality of recesses whichcommunicate at one end with slots formed in one side of said plate andat the other end with a cavity formed in the other side of said plate, acover member secured to said plate and closing the outer end of saidcavity, connectors disposed in-said recesses for making contact with thePlug portions of contact members inserted into said recesses throughsaid slots, said connectors being movable within said recesses betweenpositions in which they engage said plug portions and other positions inwhich they are disengaged from said plug portions, each said connectorbeing formed with a tail portion extending through said cavity andthrough clearance slots provided in said cover member and with ashoulder at the inner end of said tail portion, said tail portionsproviding means for attaching external circuit wires to the connectors,a clamping member mounted in said cavity for movement between inner andouter positions and provided with slots which slidably receive the tailportions of said connectors, said clamping member cooperating in itsinner position with the shoulders on said connectors to secure all ofsaid connectors in their contact making positions and permitting in itsouter position individual movement of the connectors away from theircontact making positions, and screws extending through clearance hole insaid cover member and provided with a, shank portion of reduced diameterextending with clearance through holes provided in said clamping memberand'threaded into said cover member, said screws when'screwed in placeacting to move said cover to and secure it in its inner position andwhen backed out to permit movement of said. cover member to its outerposition, the heads of said screws when said screws are screwed in placeserving as indicators to indicate the position of said clamping member.

5. In combination, a mounting plate having a plurality of recesses whichcommunicate atone end with slots formed in one side of said plate and atthe other end with a cavity formed in the other side of said plate, acover member secured to said plate and closing the outer end of saidcavity, connectors disposed in said recesses for making contact with theplug portions of contact members inserted into said recesses throughsaid slots, said connectors being movable within said recesses betweenpositions in which they engage said plug portions and other positions inwhich they are disengaged from said plug portions, each said connectorbeing formed with a tail portion extending through said cavity andthrough clearance slots provided in said cover member and with ashoulder at the inner end of said tail portion, said tail portionsproviding means for attaching external circuit wires to the connectors,a clamping member mounted in said cavity for movement between inner andouter positions and provided with slots which slidably receive the tailportions of said connectors, said clamping member cooperating in itsinner position with the shoulders on said connectors to secure all ofsaid connectors in their contact making positions and permitting in itsouter position individual movement of the connectors, and screwsextending through clearance holes in said cover member and provided witha shank portion of reduced diameter extending the clearance throughholes provided in said clamping member and threaded into said covermember, said screws when screwed in place acting to move said cover toand secure it in its inner position, and means provided on said screwson the inner side of said cover member effective when said screws arebacked out to move said clamping member to its outer position.

6. In combination, a mounting plate having a plurality of recesses whichcommunicate at one end with slots formed in one side of said plate andat the other end with a cavity formed in the other side of said plate, acover member secured to said plate and closing the outer end of saidcavity, connectors disposed in said recesses for making contact with theplug portions of contact members inserted into said recesses throughsaid slots, said connectors being movable within which they aredisengaged from said plug portions, each said connector being formedwith a tail portion extending through said cavity and through clearanceslots provided in said cover member and with a shoulder at the inner endof said tail portion, said tail portions providing means for attachingexternal circuit wires to the connectors, a clamping member mounted insaid cavity for lateral movement between two positions and provided witha plurality of slots which are of a size to receive the tail portions ofsaid connectors with slight clearance and which align respectively withthe recesses in said plate when and only when said clamping member ismoved to one extreme position, said clamping member also being providedwith other slots each of which is connected to an associated one of thefirst mentioned slots and which are of the same size as the recesses insaid plate and which align with the recesses in said plate when and onlywhen said clampingv member is moved to its other position, and means formoving said clamping member between its two positions.

7. In combination, a mounting plate having a plurality of recesses whichcommunicate at one end with slots formed in one side of said plate andat the other end with a cavity formed in the other side of said plate, acover member secured to said plate and closing the outer end .of saidcavity, connectors disposed in said recesses for making contact with theplug portions of contact members inserted into said recesses throughsaid slots, said connectors being movable within said recesses between(positions in which they engage said plug portions and other positionsin which they are disengaged from said plug portions, each saidconnector being formed with a tail portion extending through said cavityand through clearance slots provided in said cover member and with ashoulder at the inner end of said tail portion, said tail portionsproviding means for attaching external circuit wires to the connectors,a clamping member mounted in said cavity for lateral movement betweentwo positions and provided with a plurality of slots which are of a sizeto receive the tail portions of said connectors with slight clearanceand which align respectively with the recesses in said plate when andonly .when said clamping member is moved to one extreme position, saidclamping member also being provided with other slots each of which isconnected to an associated one of the first mentioned slots and whichare of the same size as the recesses in said plate and which align withthe recesses in said plate when and only when said clamping member ismoved to its other position, and means for moving said clamping memberbetween its two positions comprising a cammember journaled in said covermember and said plate and provided with an eccentric portion disposed ina cam slot provided in said clamping member.

8. In combination, a mounting plate, a plurality of connectors mountedin said mounting plate for making contact with associated contactmembers in an associated coupling membensaid connectors being movablewithin said mountin plate between two positions in one of which theyengage the mating contact members and in the other of which they aredisengaged from said mating contact members, and clamping means on saidmounting plate movable between two positions in one of which all of saidconnectors are secured in their contact making positions and in theother of which individual movement of said connectors to theirdisengaging positions is permitted.

9. In combination, a mounting plate having a plurality of recesses whichcommunicate at one end with slots formed in one side of said plate andat the other end with a cavity formed in the other side of said plate, acover member secured to said plate and closin the outer end of saidcavity, connectors disposed in said recesses for making contact with theplug portions of contact members inserted into said recesses throughsaid slots, said connectors being movable within said recesses betweenpositions in which they engage said plug portions and other positions inwhich they are disengaged from said plug portions, each said connectorbeing formed with a tail portion extending through said cavity andthrough clearance slots provided in said cover member and with ashoulder 'at the inner end of said tail portion, saidtail portionsproviding means for attaching external circuit wires to the connectors,a clamping member mounted in said cavity for lateral movement betweentwo positions and provided with a first group of slots each slot ofwhich aligns with a different one of the recesses in said plate whensaid clamping member is in its one extreme position and with a secondgroup of slots each slot ofwhich is connected with a slot of the firstgroup and each slot of which aligns with a different one of the recessesin said plate when and only when said clamping member is moved to itsother position, the slots of said first group being of such size thatwhen they are in alignment with said recesses they will cooperate withsaid connectors at said shoulders to retain said connectors in theirplug engaging positionsin said recesses and the slots of said secondgroup being of such size that when they are in alignment with saidrecesses said connectors can be moved to their disengaged positions insaid recesses, and means for moving said clamp- 10 ing member betweenits two positions.

PAUL N. MARTIN.

